An alternade is a
word
A word is a basic element of language that carries semantics, meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no consensus among linguist ...
in which its
letters, taken alternatively in a strict sequence, and used in the same order as the original word, make up at least two other words. All letters must be used, but the smaller words are not necessarily of the same length. For example, a word with seven letters where every second letter is used will produce a four-letter word and a three-letter word.
In the majority of alternades, every second letter is used to make two smaller words, but in some cases, every third letter is used to make three smaller words. Theoretically, a very long word could use every fourth letter to make four smaller words; e.g., «partitioned» is an alternade for «pin», «ate», «rid», and «to».
The term binade is also used.
[
The alternade was introduced by L'Allegro in the May 1917 '' Eastern Enigma'',][Word Ways]
/ref> published in June 1917.[
Variants on the alternade include the rebade (a hybrid of a ]rebus
A rebus ( ) is a puzzle device that combines the use of illustrated pictures with individual letters to depict words or phrases. For example: the word "been" might be depicted by a rebus showing an illustrated bumblebee next to a plus sign (+ ...
and an alternade), and the subade.[
At least 4,800 alternades are known to exist.][
]
Examples
Every second letter
* ALGERIA
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
: makes AGRA and LEI.CALLIOPE
In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; ) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses".
Mythology
Calliope had two famous sons, OrpheusH ...
: makes CLIP and ALOE.[David Grambs, Literary Companion Dictionary]
/ref>
* CARPETWEED(S): makes CREWE(S) and APTED.[
* CURTAINLESS: makes CRANES and UTILS.][
* PAINED: makes PIE and AND.][
* SCHOOLED: makes SHOE and COLD.][
* SPALLATION(S): makes SALTO(S) and PLAIN.][Taxonomy of Wordplay]
/ref>
* TRIENNIALLY: makes TINILY and RENAL. (This was discovered by Dorse in 1949.[ It has been claimed that ''triennially'' is the longest alternade,rec.puzzles Archive (language), part 19 of 35]
/ref> but other 11-letter examples exist where the resultant words are obscure.[)
* TROUPE(S): makes TOP(S) and RUE.][
* TRUANCIES: makes TUNIS and RACE.][
* ]WAIST
The waist is the part of the Human abdomen, abdomen between the rib cage and Hip (anatomy), hips. Normally, it is the narrowest part of the torso.
''Waistline'' refers to the horizontal line where the waist is narrowest, or to the general appe ...
: makes WIT and AS.[
* WAISTS: makes WIT and ASS.
]
Every third letter
* LACERATED
A wound is any disruption of or damage to living tissue, such as skin, mucous membranes, or organs. Wounds can either be the sudden result of direct trauma (mechanical, thermal, chemical), or can develop slowly over time due to underlying diseas ...
: the 1st, 4th and 7th letters make LET; the 2nd, 5th and 8th letters make ARE; and the 3rd, 6th and 9th letters make CAD.[
]
References
{{reflist
Sources
Words Built From Smaller Words
Word play
Word games